Headlight for motor vehicles



W. T. KISER HEADLIGHT FOR MOTOR VEHICLES July 19, 1949.

Filed Oct. 31, 1945 2 sheets-sheen INVENTOR.

i y 1 5 1949- w. T. KISER HEADLIGHT FOR. MOTOR VEHICLES Fi ed Oct. 31, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I 7 7 INVENTOR.

l0 i A 7 A Patented July 19, 1949 UNITED .g,476,495 H nanometer-non MOT-B VEHIQ Ei Warren 7.17.;fll n Marion-1mi- Application October 31, 194 5;SerialNo:625,872

This invention relates to headlights:;ormgtor vehicles, one of theobiects being to. provide a headlight structure which can be built into the fenders and which is so constructed that, when the vehicle is. turnedin misdirect oneof t invention consists of certain novel details of con.-

structicn and, combinations; .Jf ;parts hereinafter more iullydescribed and poi-nt dou in he cl im, it being understood that changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.

In the accompanying drawings the preferred form of the invention has been shown.

In said drawings Figure 1 is a top plan view of the directional headlight mechanism constituting the present invention, a portion of the vehicle to which it is applied being indicated by broken lines.

Figure 2 is a view partly in side elevation and partly in section of the headlight structure.

Figure 3 is an enlarged section on line 3--3, Fig. 1.

Figure 4 is an enlarged section on line 4-4, Fig. 1.

Figure 5 is a view partly in plan and partly in section showing a modified structure adaptable to fenders of any shape.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference, l designates a pair of angle plates forming supporting brackets each of which is adapted to be secured in the front portion of one of the fenders F of the vehicle and back of an opening 0 in said fender. Each of these brackets carries the reflector or housing portion 2 of a headlight the front or lens portion of which is normally positioned across the opening 0. Wings 3 extend from each housing 2 and cooperate with said housing to maintain the opening 0 closed no matter to what position the housing might be moved.

Brackets l are fixedly joined to the fenders and the housings 2 are fixedly secured to base plates 4 supported on the brackets I and joined thereto by pivot bolts 5 or the like. These bolts are located substantially at the centers of the arcs 1 Claim. (Cl. 240--62.51)

described: by therounded-front portionsof the fenders .andspringsse which'ar-e connected t 1 .1.1? baseplates IA and to the brackets, serve to hold therlamphousings and their bases 4 normally pressedtoward each other a ain t h 1 11 .1991

i of the brackets i so that-li ht raysthus normally will be projected forwardly by their-cadi il L .filidaloiy. mounted. iilit-hin the sides-fl f th a leackets i is a c ect... bar 8H9- dh a lgngitudinal detewam he... 5:. t2 A arm IE1 at the left of and cause the headlight to swing as indicated by broken lines. At the same time bar 8 will move away from the arm It at the right of Fig. 1 and will not actuate it. When the direction of movement of the bar is reversed the foregoing operation of the two bases and their lamp housings will be reversed.

For the purpose of actuating bar 8 there is provided a rack l I which is secured to and extends lengthwise of the bar and is constantly in mesh with a gear 12 secured to one end of an intermediate shaft I3. This intermediate shaft extends backwardly and is journaled in a bracket l4 through which the shaft l5 of the steering wheel I6 is extended and gears l1 and It on the two shafts I5 and [3 are in constant mesh.

From the foregoing it will be noted that when the vehicle is steered by means of the wheel t6 motion will betransmitted to the rack II with the result that one or the other of the pivoted bases 4 will be shifted from normal position so as to cause the lamp housing carried thereby to swing in the direction in which the vehicle is turned. At the same time the other lamp housing will be held against movement so that its light rays will be projected straightforwardly.

By providing a directional headlight mechanism such as described the driver can see not only straight ahead but also in the direction in which a turn is being made and accidents which otherwise might occur can thus be avoided.

In order to adapt this invention to fenders of any shape, the structure illustrated in Fig. 5 has been developed. In this modified structure the fender F has an opening 0' below and back of which is located a fixed bracket [9 corresponding with the bracket I. On this bracket there is mounted a base plate 20 having a backwardly extending arm 2|. This base plate is pivotally connected to the bracket [9 close to the outer side of the opening and indicated at 22, and. a spring 23 serves to hold the arm 2| normally pressed against a stop 24. llVhen the arm and bracket are in this normal position the lamp housing indicated generally at 25 and which is carried by the forward end of the plate 26, is positioned Within the opening 0' which can be circular. Obviously when the bracket 20 is actuated by the means heretofore described, it will cause the lamp housing 25 to swing forwardly and laterally within the opening 0'. x

This modified structure obviates the necessity of using a fender of special shape. Instead any fender can be formed with a circular opening "in its forward end of off size to receive the lamp housing and the dirigible headlight can then be placed in position.

For the purpose of maintaining the opening 0 closed While the lamp is out of normal position, an arcuate shield 26 concentric with the pivot 22 can be carried by the bracket 29. This shield is so located that it will be positioned close to the inner side of opening 0' at all times when the bracket is out of normal position.

What is claimed is:

Directional headlight apparatus for motor vehicles, comprising supporting brackets respectively mounted within the front fenders of the vehicle, the fenders having head lamp-receiving openings, base plates pivotally mounted on the brackets, head lamps fixedly mounted on the base plates in position to project light rays through the openings of the fenders, yielding means extending between the base plates and brackets, whereby to return the base plates to normal posi- '4 tion when moved therefrom, the head lamps, when the base plates are in normal position, projecting light rays straight forwardly, shields carried by the head lamps and cooperating therewith to maintain the fender openings closed when the head lamps are moved from normal position, a connecting bar extended between the brackets, the ends of said bar being slidably mounted in the brackets, there being longitudinal slots in said ends, arms rearwardly extended from the base plates, the arms being loosely received in the slots, and means, comprising a geared connection, extending between the connecting bar and the steering shaft of the vehicle, whereby to transmit reciprocating motion to the bar from the steering shaft.

WARREN T. KISER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS (Addition to No. 579,340) 

